CIAN O’Reilly, one of the up-and-coming drivers on the West Cork circuit, drove the first double of his fledgling career at the recent harness racing meet in Lyre.
Rodney Camden set the ball rolling for O’Reilly with victory in the Grade F & E Pace, with Oakwood Maestro in second.
The brace of winners for Drimoleague teen O’Reilly (18) was completed in the Grade D C & B Pace. On the final lap O’Reilly on Blue Showdown made his move, went to the front with little ease and stayed on strongly at the finish to beat American Rebel by two lengths with Brywins Starship staying on in third. The time of 2:05.6 was the fastest mile of the day.
‘My father Sean bought the two horses from Scotland in the Autumn and both are going well at the moment. The racing in Cork has been very competitive and it’s nice to drive my first career double. I don't get many “outside drives” so I take my chances with limited opportunities,’ O’Reilly said. No doubt others will see the talents of this talented youngster.
Brutenor, a former winner of The Maven Trot in Lyre, returned to winning ways in the Grade D C B & A Trot. Patrick Hill sent the 11-year-old to the front at the start, never saw another rival and had a nine-length winning margin from Comete Des Landes.
Racing opened with a local winner in the Grade G & G2 Pace in the shape of Foxfield Ranger, who is trained within shouting distance of the track by James Hurley in Reenascreena.
The three Quill brothers from Kenmare were all involved in the best finish of the day in the Grade F E & D Trot, which Fina Mix with Seamus Quill won, followed by his brothers Oisin on Humour De Cosse and Finbarr on Destin De Larre.
Dan O'Mahony is another of the younger generation of drivers and grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat in the Four & Five-Year-Old Trot.
Timmy Moloney's season has been littered with winners and the good run continued when Share A Smile took top spot in the Grade F pace. The meeting concluded with a leg of The IHRA Apprentice Drivers series and Eoin Murphy continued his winning partnership with Vallanzana, who is trained by the Murphy Brothers at their IB Stables base in Baltimore.